The company has 60 manufacturing facilities across 18 countries,[7] including the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. It provides drivetrain components to all three U.S. automakers,[7] as well as a variety of European[7] and Asian[7]original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers. BorgWarner has diversified into several automotive-related markets (1999),[1] including ignition interlock technology (ACS Corporation est.1976) for preventing impaired operation of vehicles.[citation needed]

Historically, BorgWarner was also known for its ownership of the Norge appliance company (washers and dryers).[8][9]

The original Borg-Warner Corporation was formed in 1928[1] by the merger of Warner Gear,[1] which itself was founded by Thomas Warner in 1901,[1] and Borg & Beck[1] founded by Charles Borg and Marshall Beck in 1903,[1] Marvel Schelber Carburetor Co founded in 1905 by George Schebler and the Mechanics Universal Joint Co. The company was best known as the supplier of Warner Gear overdrive units for cars of the 1930s to the 1970s,[10] and as the developer of Ford'sFord-O-Matic three-speed automatic transmission introduced in 1950,[1] along with 'Holley' brand Borg & Beck carburetors.[1]

BorgWarner supplies wet clutches and hydraulic modules for dual clutch transmission systems. With their DualTronic[1] technology, BorgWarner has gained contracts with European automakers[1] that want to use dual clutch transmissions. The German automotive concern Volkswagen Group is BorgWarner's largest customer (by sales),[7] and Europe is their largest market.[7] Light vehicles (automobiles, car-derived vans, and light commercial vehicles) account for 72% of BorgWarner's total sales.[7]

The company's world headquarters is in Auburn Hills, Michigan. Robert S. Ingersoll formerly served as the company's CEO and Chairman. BorgWarner's Powertrain Technical Center (PTC) is also based in Auburn Hills.

The BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy is presented to the winner of the annual Indianapolis 500auto racing event; this has been provided by the company since 1936,[12][13] as a legacy of Louie Schwitzer who won the first automobile racing event held at the facility, in 1909.[1] It was announced by the Izod Indycar Series that BorgWarner has been selected as the official supplier for the turbochargers to be used in the 2.2L turbocharged engine formula for the series which took effect in 2012[citation needed]. On Oct 2, 2006, BorgWarner announced the purchase of the European Transmission and Engine Controls product lines from Eaton Corporation.

Multi-plate clutch coupling. The ITM 3e multi-plate clutch coupling is used in the Hyundai Santa Fe, Hyundai Tucson and Porsche 911. In normal conditions, it sends up to 95% of the torque to the front wheels. In the case of the Hyundais, the system can be locked in a 50:50 split so that you have a more dedicated off-road system. The system can be locked with the '4WD LOCK' button. The ITM 3e uses a multi-plate clutch coupling with magnetic activation

On April 12, 2005, BorgWarner won a 2005 Automotive News PACE Award at a ceremony in Detroit. The award recognized automotive suppliers for superior innovation, technological advancement and business performance.[26]